Thank you so much J.D. Barker, James Patterson, Little Brown and Company, plus NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Interesting and unusual plot very well written has a great pace but….. I have a major problem in that the characters are so one dimensional its untrue. Although you do get carried along with the immense pace of the story, I didn’t really care if any of them lived or died. It also quite repetitive, found myself asking, have I read that twice on several occasions

This book contains some really creative, imaginative and interesting theories, but the way it is played out left a lot to be desired, from my point of view anyway.

Really wanted to love this book, but it just didn’t quite make it. 3.5 stars.

First and foremost, a large thank you to NetGalley; James Patterson; J.D. Barker; and Little, Brown and Company for providing me with a copy of this publication, which allows me to provide you with an unbiased review.

I have enjoyed the few collaborative efforts by James Patterson and J.D. Barker, which offer a scintillating look into psychological thrillers with a unique twist. Mixing their two styles, the authors have come up with a sure page-turner here, keeping the reader on their toes throughout this piece. A rural community in Oregon soon turns to panic, leaving two young girls to flee for the family’s underground bunker as a piercing noise permeates their surroundings. The elder child appears unharmed, but her little sister begins spouting gibberish and acting in a highly troublesome manner. Soon, a handful of scientists are herded aboard a military chopper and sent to the area, in hopes of better understanding what’s taken place. However, it is baffling to everyone and there seems neither rhyme nor reason for any of it. Many have died and appear to be piled in large crevasses, while those who are alive have fevers like no other. What’s happened and who or what is responsible for all this. One doctor vows to get answers, even if the government seeks to cover it up from the public.

Things are quiet in a rural mountain Oregon for Tennant and Sophie Riggin, who have lived off the grid for their entire lives. However, all this soon changes when an odd vibration emanates from the forest and their father rushes the girls into a bunker. The piercing noise escalates, leaving Tennant worried and Sophie acting strangely. The younger sister, all of eight, begins spouting odd phrases and complaining of severe pain in her ears. Tennant can only hope to protect her sister until all of this passes.

Soon after the baffling incident in around Mount Hood, military officials begin gathering top-ranked scientists and medical professionals to help assess the damage and fallout. This includes, Dr. Martha Chan, a medical doctor, who is as confused as ever about why she was chosen for this mission. What Chan and the others witness is baffling and highly unusual: massive crevasses in the ground, many bodies piled up, as well as destruction of the earth like nothing seen or predicted. What’s even more troubling is the top secret nature of the event, where military officials will not even allow those viewing the fallout to converse with one another.

After Chan and the others are permitted on the ground, it’s discovered that many of those who are alive have fevers that are off the charts, climbing into the 104 degree Fahrenheit range. This includes young Sophie Riggin, who continues to spout odd phrases, one of which can be traced back to a dead language used in the Bible. Might this be some sort of End of Times event? If not, could an enemy nation be testing a new weapon? Military officials scramble for answers and try to brief the president with what they know.

As Tennant remains unharmed, Dr. Chan is unsure what’s kept her safe and how Sophie could be so affected. Chan will do all she can to get answers, even if that means defying the orders of military personnel. Something is behind this noise and Chan will not rest until she gets answers, sure that someone is not telling the truth. The larger question remains, when the truth is discovered, how will the US Administration handle it and what message will there broadcast to the world? A chilling story that will sober many readers into wondering what could happen right under their noses.

Many will know that I have a love/hate relationship with the works of James Patterson, depending on the series collaborators. Those who don’t can find my comments elsewhere, as I wish to focus on the collaborative efforts that Patterson has with J.D. Barker. This is a duo that has worked from the outset, combining their individual skills to create something really enticing and easy to read. While the novels may be longer than many Patterson fans have come to expect, they are always filled with twists and narrative nuggets that push them to the top of the genre. Psychological thrillers are hard to perfect, as the reader must commit fully, but Patterson and Barker make that easy with the caliber of their work.

The numerous narratives make it difficult to choose a single protagonist, though the authors have highlighted a few characters to assume the role, namely Tennant and Martha Chan. While they come from completely different backgrounds, both seek the same thing, to get answers and to help Sophie. The collaborative efforts both make throughout the story make them targets for the military and political actors, but this only adds to their development. Many readers will likely affix themselves to at least one of these leading ladies, if only to get to the core of the plot.

The authors have done well to craft a collection of supporting characters who use individual agendas to clash with the aforementioned protagonists. Many serve within the US Administration, trying to uncover and then whitewash what’s happened in Oregon. This tension works well throughout the novel, pushing the reader to see how good and evil (or at least curiosity and pragmatic secret keeping) butt heads throughout. The description of some other supporting characters helps to show the dire straights in which this segment of the population has found itself, something that resonates throughout for the attentive reader.

The goal I suspect authors strive for in standalone novels is to allow each to succeed on their own merits. While James Patterson’s books have often been given a ‘cookie cutter plot’ label, his work alongside J.D. Barker makes these novels stand out as being some of the best, with no prediction where things will go. The narrative, told through the eyes of many, is strong and builds constantly, while the characters are varied enough to be of interest to the reader. The plot is anything but linear and gains momentum in all the right spots. Short chapters push things along and keep the reader from getting too bogged down in minutiae. I am always pleased to see collaborative efforts between these two international bestselling authors, as I see it brings out the best in them both. One can only hope there are more novels, series or standalone, to come.

Kudos, Messrs. Patterson and Barker, for another winning recipe when it comes to thrill writing. I hope many of your respective fans will rush to get this book, as it checks all the boxes.

The Noise by J.D. Barker (Author), James Patterson (Author)

Forth generation survivalist sisters, sixteen year old Tennant and eight year old Sophia, are hunting when the world around them begins vibrating. The accompanying noise builds into a deafening crescendo of screams. Running to their settlement, their parents throw them into a storm shelter, leaving the girls alone as their suffering increases unbearably.

Afterwards Tennant is bloody, broken, and battered but Sophia is in even worse shape. The area and all living things have been pulverized. The girls move to another storm shelter and the vibrations happen again. Eventually the girls are "rescued".

Nearby a group of highly trained professionals have been gathered to brainstorm what has been happening. Of course, something is not right but what is causing this phenomenon? Who is causing these events and can they be stopped? We see this story from several different perspectives and we never know more than the characters know. The tension is non stop, the happenings gruesome from the onset, and getting more gruesome by the minute.

It's really hard to say more without giving away too much. I do know that I have so many questions about what happens after the story ends. What I think happens next is not pretty, no prettier than what has already happened. The story had my mind racing during it and now my mind is racing after the story is over. Because it's not over.

Thank you to J.D. Barker, Little, Brown and Company, and NetGalley for this ARC.

I finished this book a couple of days ago and have, since then, struggled to formulate my review. I loved the book but I still don’t know how to describe the plot - so maybe I won’t say much about it. Sixteen year old Tennant Riggin and her eight year old sister, Sophie - fourth generation survivalists near Mt Hood in the wilds of Oregon, are out checking rabbit traps one day when they are floored by an eerie, loud and disturbing noise. Their parents grab them and hide them in an underground storm shelter for safety. When the girls emerge there is no sign of life in their village apart from their dog, Deke.

A team of scientific experts is quickly dispatched to the area to study ‘the anomaly’ but getting a handle on this beast is like trying to catch water in a sieve. And unfortunately the infection is spreading rapidly. The people who are affected/infected by the noise get an uncontrollable urge to run. More on that later. The scientific team set up at Zigzag station in the forest and Dr Martha Chan is trying to learn what is happening from conducting autopsies and studying the two survivors. Tennant seems largely unaffected as she had put wax in her ears when the noise started but Sophie is proving to be an enigma.

I found this genre bending book to be utterly compelling. It was part sci-fi, part horror, part thriller and I could not put it down. I’m not familiar with James Patterson’s work but I have read a lot of J.D. Barker’s books and I love that you never know what to expect. They are all so utterly different. At one point it started to feel like a zombie apocalypse story, without the flesh eating! The horde of runners just kept growing as it was drawn to more people and when those people heard the noise they joined in.

The image of the mindless scrum of thousands of runners, oblivious to all but the running, horrified faces, arms straight down by their sides with fists clenched - just their legs pistoning up and down faster and faster kept me up on the night I finished the book. The way it was written, the whole book really, gave me some incredibly vivid mental images, mostly disturbing I have to admit. The book was dark, very dark. And yet the ending was perfect, almost spiritual. I won’t be forgetting this one in a hurry! Many thanks to Netgalley, publishers Little, Brown and Company and the authors for providing a free advance copy which I have reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

J.D. Barker is my go to thriller author. I don't even need to read the blurbs on his books. I just buy it and dive in because I know I am going to get one hell of a book!

When starting to read The Noise, I got the SciFi vibe right away and was loving it. I love when authors can make me question what could be or have me staring a every person like they are a suspect. I could have been walking my dog or driving in my car and everyone who was running was a  "runner" in my twisted Barker/Patterson mind. Lol This book actually creeped me the hell out and I loved every damn second of it.

I won't go into full details about characters and events because I feel you need to go into this book knowing nothing. Just always expect the unexpected. Know that this book will have you flipping the pages nonstop because there is always some type of action happening. The suspense is nonstop because WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?! How can this be? Who or what is doing this?

The only thing that got me feeling a little disappointed was the ending. It felt slightly rushed and disconnected me from the story a little. I actually read it multiple times thinking I may have missed something. It's not a bad ending, it just didn't give me the closure I was expecting. But with that being said, I also truly feel that it's meant to be that way. To make you question everything in the real world. It also leaves the story open for more in the future. I am hoping for that because I need more!!!!

Overall, I recommend this duo's book The Noise. It's creeping as hell. Now I must go and turn off all my internet for the day! You just never know! LOL

I Enjoyed Reading This Novel Until The Ending

The novel opens in a remote area near Mount Hood. Sixteen-year-old Tennet and her eight-year-old sister, Sophie, are out catching rabbits. Tennet does not want to hear the horrible sounds that rabbits make when frightened or injured, so she puts beeswax in her ears. Sophie declines. She hears a growing noise. It becomes so loud that soon they are both on their knees. Suddenly their father appears, scoops them up, and places them in a nearby barn’s cellar. As the noise passed both were screaming. Sometime later, Tennet wakes up Sophie, but something isn’t right with Sophie. She can’t hear, but it is more than that. As they leave the cellar, the barn was gone. They see total devastation. The action switches to San Francisco where Dr. Martha Chan was picked up from her apartment at two in the morning and flown to Mount Hood area. She was not provided any explanation. She finds herself with a group of high-level scientists and researchers.

The main storyline proceeds primarily centered around Dr. Chan with the other scientists and researchers trying to determine what is and how to stop this devastating phenomenon. The observations by the team and their discussions move the story along. The authors keep the tension through a conflict of wills between the group and whichever government person in charge. The group wants all the information available, and the military wants to keep the information sharing to a minimum. As the main storyline proceeds, Tennet and Sophie are found that provides the team more insight. The phenomenon seems to become more and more strange, and members of the group start to be lost to the phenomenon. I can see how some may find this section a little tenuous, but it captured my attention and kept it. I completed this novel in record time for me.

Like most stand-alone novels, the B-storyline is integrated into the main storyline. There are not any home scenes where background information is provided, but the other method is small talk in the work situation. With the time pressure, this aspect does contribute to fill out the character. The last way was how the stress and the fast-moving events shape the characters’ future actions. There is an excellent example of a C-storyline. One character who started as a very rigid character changes as a result of the ineffectiveness of all efforts to control this phenomenon and the actions being directed from above. These two storylines added a richness to reading this novel.

There are not any intimate scenes in this novel. Violence starts being described in the lower key after the fact. As the storyline continues, the descriptions migrate to as they occur that is more edgy. Language may be an issue for some readers. The vulgar language used by one character was startling, but upon considering it the use of this language was context realistic. The use in the rest of the novel is minimal. The above aspects did not raise any red flags for me.

What I particularly enjoyed was the multifaceted hooks that captured and then maintained my interest. They were: a hard time limit to remain where the phenomenon occurred; a government versus scientists and professionals stopping the flow of information; the pending doom of a major population centers within hours of being affected; and the loss of major characters. My biggest issue was the ending. To me it was a little too bizarre. The ending was not presented as a fait accompli, and that’s it. No, the ending takes some time during which all of the numerous loose ends, which I had documented while reading, were answered by the end. There was an incredible attention to detail to achieve this ending.

Overall, rating this novel has left me in a quandary. The quality of the complex storyline was excellent. I was very pleased until the ending started to become clear. I could not rate this novel at five stars that was the level of the writing quality. It even may not be a solid four-star novel, but it definitely is not a three-star novel. Therefore, I rate this novel with four stars. While not completely happy with this novel, I will read the next novel, if there is another one, from the collaboration of these two authors.

I received a free e-book version of this novel through NetGalley from Little, Brown and Company. My review is based only by my own reading experience of this book. I wish to thank Little, Brown and Company for the opportunity to read and review this novel early.

Sisters are checking rabbit traps in their off the grid village when an all encompassing noise and vibration occurs. The girls’ father place them in a sheltered area for safety. When the sisters emerge, their village is decimated and the people are either dead or have vanished. Meanwhile, a group of scientists and military personnel are gathered to investigate what they simply refer to as an anomaly. What caused this disaster? A tornado? An earthquake? Weapons? This begins an exciting journey to solve the mystery before it happens again.
The Noise was a fact paced action filled fun read. Patterson and Barker are both fabulous storytellers and produced yet another unputdownable story. I highly recommend this book.

I couldn’t read this fast enough. I had to know what was happening. The noise, the people running, the madness. From two of the best crime writers, their joint imagination was on another level. An escalating problem that was getting out of hand had to be stopped. And fast. However, the battle for everyone involved, military and civilians, was a seemingly impossible task and without giving anything away, the ending, while not entirely satisfactory was extremely thought provoking.

I'm a huge fan of J.D. Barker's writing, so I couldn't pass up on an invitation to read his newest collab story. I have to be honest here and say that I don't really care that much about James Patterson's books in general, but luckily The Noise seems to be pure J.D. Barker style and it is without doubt a highly disturbing, twisted and action-packed ride. It feels like you are reading an almost dystopian Hollywood action movie script, and it’s a story that will keep you entertained the whole way!

I have to say that it is quite hard to put The Noise inside a neat little genre box. Action thriller, psychological thriller, science fiction, fantasy, even dystopia... This story has so many different elements and genres incorporated and the resulting story cocktail is highly addictive. The main feel of the story is probably the almost dystopian action thriller though, with the 'anomaly' happening and people trying to figure out what is going on before it's too late. There is plenty of focus on the scientific side, but with an always pressing sense of danger and a clock ticking away precious minutes as everyone scrambles to find a solution.

The story has a multiple POV structure, switching between the many characters in play as the story unfolds. The main focus is on the sixteen-year-old Tennant, Dr. Martha Chan and Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Fraser though, who all help narrate the story from different perspectives and locations. Their development is not that extensive, but that is mostly due to the urgency of the current situation, which means there is more focus on actions and events rather than a thorough character development. I personally didn't really mind though, as the different were easy to keep apart and they fitted the story well.

The writing in The Noise reads like a train, and once I started reading I couldn't let go of the story. Like I mentioned before, it feels like you are right in the middle of a Hollywood action movie, and I simply HAD to continue reading to discover how things would end. Certain aspects of the plot might be a bit farfetched, but due to the dystopian and speculative nature of the 'anomaly' and everything it represents I personally wasn't bothered by it. This is definitely a story were the entertainment factor is key!

All in all this was a disturbing, twisted and highly engaging action thriller with an almost dystopian feel that you will be unable to stop reading once you get a first glimpse of the situation. Highly addictive and highly entertaining if you like your stories action-packed and lightning fast!

This is the second Barker/Patterson mash up book that I have read and I was just enthralled. I found that the book was intelligent and definitely fitting for our current times. I thought the action was good and there was a good balance between character progression and storyline that made it really work well. I cannot say that the scenario was realistic, however it was definitely thought provoking. With the increasing reliance on smart devices, where is enough enough? I want more from this pairing of authors and at this point I am definitely a J.D. Barker fan and plan to read everything he has written. Thanks for the ARC, NetGalley. This was a little bit different from my original genre, but so glad I gave this a chance.

Let me state up front that J.D.Barker could write a phone book and I would read it and enjoy it. I have, in the past, given his books less that five stars because I thought he could do a better job than he did – NOT because I thought he wasn’t stunningly awesome. That said, I started The Noise late in the afternoon and did not put it down once, not even, until I finished late last night. I was spellbound from start to finish. As with all of Barker’s books, The Noise will not appeal to everyone but it sure as hell made my day!

The Noise… two girls, part of a survivalist group in the mountains of Oregon, are the lone survivors of something that wiped out their entire village, literally everything was decimated to the ground as though a tornado had leveled it, crushing everyone and everything in its path. Except that there was no tornado, or any other weather related incident in the area. Nor were there nuclear events, military attacks nor any other reasonable explanations for the horror. Scientists are called in to study the area and the two girls – one whom appears to be fine and the other who is behaving strangely. And then it happens again in a small city just up the road from the village…

I wanted to like this joint effort from James Patterson and JD Barker (both authors whose books I enjoy) more than I did. It starts off really well with with a strange and horrifying event in an isolated survivalist settlement and ramps up the tension even more as the strange events continue and the military call in special teams to work out what is happening. There were also some interesting ideas brought up by the plot. However, the novel seemed to lose focus half way through and I found my interest waning, particularly as the main characters are somewhat one dimensional and therefore difficult to relate to and feel invested in. The end of the book also seemed a bit rushed and I didn't feel adequately explained the motivations of those involved. However, I may be an outlier here, so you might want to read it for yourself. 3.5 &#9733

J.D. Barker and James Patterson together again. Yes please!

Here, we are into the realm of sci-fi with The Noise.

It starts off promisingly but rather flatlines for large chunks before finally getting to its conclusion. It’s all a bit frantic and linear without being engaging.

The premise, a noise that is infecting people to a hive mentality etc is an interesting concept and the “hoard” aspect reminded me more of Clive Barker than J.D. Barker(I love Clive Barker btw)

The problem with the book is the characters are wafer thin so you care little about them. The book is also way too long for what it is. It felt extremely repetitive in parts. It’s like it’s turned up to 11 from the start and doesn’t let up. This can work extremely well if you are engaged with the characters and the story, but here I always felt I was reading from the outside with little connection to the characters and story.

There are some really interesting ideas here but unfortunately the execution left a lot to be desired for me. I’m extremely disappointed. I wanted to like this book so much.

Thanks to the publisher for the ARC through Netgalley

Picked this book up because I saw it was co-written by James Patterson and J.D. Barker. I've made it a habit to read everything I find with J.D. Barker's name on it because I love reading scary, horror stories similar to Stephen King and Dean Koontz - and now J.D. Barker. I was not disappointed!

The book was relentlessly paced and commanded me to keep reading and forgot all my other obligations. Well, I did have to put it down when I went to work, but grabbed it as soon as I finished my day!

The description of the book is intriguing - "In the shadow of Mount Hood, sixteen-year-old Tennant is checking rabbit traps with her eight-year-old sister Sophie when the girls are suddenly overcome by a strange vibration rising out of the forest, building in intensity until it sounds like a deafening crescendo of screams. From out of nowhere, their father sweeps them up and drops them through a trapdoor into a storm cellar. But the sound only gets worse . . ." - and I was gripped from the beginning. The only reason I didn't give it five stars was I felt there should be more to the ending - it felt a little rushed and I needed a few more things resolved. I won't mention them here because I don't want to give anything away. Don't get me wrong - this is a great story and well worth the read!

Many thanks to J.D. Barker and James Patterson, Little, Brown & Company, and Netgalley for an advance copy of this book which will publish August 16, 2021.

This is another fabulous collaboration by two amazing writers I had read the first book by them The Coast to Coast Murders and really loved it but this book was something altogether different and certainly the pace never let up.
This tale is a lot of things borderline horror but so much more and impossible to describe without giving anything away. The plot line is a complex one that really got me thinking , a whole cast of brilliant characters also giving multiple points of view with short chapters that really kept those pages turning.
There is a lot going on the book and it kept me guessing as to just what the hell was happening as well giving me a lot of shivers down my spine!
So a thrill a minute 5 star read that read like a film script, exciting and pacy it was a joy of a book but that’s just what you would expect from these two authors and hopefully we will hear more from them in the future.
If you want a different kind of read you have it here and I can highly recommend it.
My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company for giving me the chance to read the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Totally different book than I thought it would be. I do have to say it's more horror/sci-fi. I never read sci-fi, but this actually kept me enthralled.

There's a noise and it is making everyone run. The government sends for the top people to figure out why. Only question is will they in time.

I rooted for the sisters and doctors throughout the book. The book grabbed me which kept me reading it, even though I don't like sci-fi. It's just a hint of it.

It makes you wonder about if all this could really happen. I just hope I never hear the noise!

I recommend this book. Thanks to Netgalley, J.D
Barker, James Patterson and the publisher for a chance to read it. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When an earsplitting noise rips Tennant and Sophie Riggin's world apart, they have no idea what is happening. Their parents lock them in a cellar and when finally, the only sound they hear is silence, Tennant breaks through the trap door. Their village has been destroyed and all the people have vanished. Sixteen-year-old Tennant seems unaffected, but her eight-year-old sister is acting more like a feral creature and not like the little girl she loves.
The story then switches perspective to Dr. Martha Chen and a team of experts brought to Mount Hood, Oregon to try to assess the situation. When they see the devastation that surrounds them, all their theories seem implausible. For the majority of this story, we learn what is going on at the same time as Martha. Nothing makes sense to her, but she is determined to help Tennant and Sophie and as many other people as possible.
Glimmers of information are shared by someone with a higher pay grade, but not high enough apparently. I stumbled along trying to figure out what was happening and who was responsible. Aliens, a foreign government, or our own. I honestly had no idea and even when a seemingly unstoppable horde of survivors is tearing through town after town, I couldn't figure anything out. Slowly, some but not all the puzzle pieces started to come together.
I wanted Tennant, Sophie, and Martha to survive whatever 'this' was, but even when I read the last page, I wasn't 100% certain what happened. It was a thrilling ride but I would not have minded a few more answers.
I cannot keep up with the very prolific James Patterson, so I have only read his Alex Cross series. That is until he wrote The Coast-To-Coast Murders with J.D. Barker. I eagerly await his books, and if his name is on the cover, I know I am in for an enjoyable time. This book is nothing like The Fourth Monkey, but 'hear no evil' kept popping into my head. I was glued to my Kindle and was sorry when life intruded.

While I had to think awhile on how I would rate this one, it comes down to not so good. And that makes me sad because if J.D. Barker is involved, I'm 100% in. This story was not very cohesive and didn't really explain itself in the end.

Two young sisters out in the woods early in the morning hear a loud noise that frightens and disorients them, with their fathers help they hide in a cellar and wait for it to end. When they feel that it is safe to leave they find that everyone is dead and all the surrounding buildings have been destroyed.
The army, a group of doctors and scientists are sent to find out what’s going on.
I am a fan out both of the authors who wrote this book but I wasn’t as gripped in this story as with previous books.
Thank you to NetGalley, Little, Brown and Company and J.D. Barker for my e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ok, I may be biased but I feel this is the best book of the decade and it should be read by all. Yeah, slightly biased.